Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, former military chief Benny Gantz, were locked in a neck and neck race Tuesday as exit polls showed no clear winner in an election that was seen as a referendum on the long-serving leader.
Last Updated Tuesday, April 9, 2019 10:48PM EDT
The 69-year-old prime minister has been the dominant force in Israeli politics for the past two decades and its face to the world. His campaign has focused heavily on his friendship with President Donald Trump and his success in cultivating new allies, such as China, India and Brazil. "Elections have losers and elections have winners. And we are the winners," Gantz told a victory rally shortly after midnight.
"It's a night of tremendous victory," Netanyahu told his own victory rally. "I was very moved that the nation of Israel once again entrusted me for the fifth time, and with an even greater trust." His attacks on the Arab sector fueled calls for a boycott, and appeared to result in relatively low turnout by Arab voters. Israel's central elections commission banned parties from bringing cameras into polling stations after Likud party activists were caught with hidden cameras in Arab towns.
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